A huge light-emitting diode (LED) display on the Pudong side of the Huangpu River broadcast some commercials Friday night, indicating a loosening of restrictions on the shining billboard's operations.

Though accounting for just a small fraction of the 28-minute flash series, the commercials were a good sign for the Taiwan-based Aurora Group, the LED's owner, meaning it is approaching its final goal of broadcasting ads.

The flash, a trial for a Christmas series, will be on from 5:30 to 10:30 pm until tomorrow.

With an investment of US$3 million, the LED board - the largest in the world - covers about half of the exterior wall of the 37-story Aurora Plaza, which is next to the Pudong Shangri-la Hotel.

However, since it was installed in August, the billboard was finding it tough to get approval from local authorities to screen ads because "the LED was too bright."

Bao Peili, an Aurora official, said, "According to our plan, one-third of the flashes will be free common-weal programs fed by the government, one-third our own commercials and the remaining one-third will be ads by other companies."

(eastday.com December 6, 2003)